Tag Archive for Real state investing

Buying a very affordable condominium in Japan ?: Do the due diligence

by

Irresistible ?

I receive a number of inquiries about very affordable and yet old condominiums from foreign nationals.

They don’t know much about Japanese market.

Japan is facing serious social issues including ageing society and shrinking population.

And old condominiums are facing similar realities especially in the regional areas.

I am not saying all old condominiums are risky but please do not jump at the gun only because they are cheap.

You need to carefully investigate the property and check the potential risks.

Real estates are totally controlled by the market mechanism and they are cheap for a reason.

That said, if you carefully search, you could get a relatively good investment.

Read more

How the commission for agents (realtors) works in Japan ?: Risks you should watch (YouTube)

by

How the commission for agents (realtors) work in Japan ?
The system is very different from that of USA.

In the US, sellers pay the commission to the sellers agents (listing agents) and buyers don’t pay the commission.

(Later, sellers agents split the commission with buyers agents)

In Japan, a buyer pays the 3% commission to buyers agent and a seller pays the same 3% to sellers agent (listing agent)

3% is the statutory rate and not negotiable (it is but I don’t negotiate).

Japan has been infamous for the problem of “dual agency”.

Read more

Fast track is available: Japan’s green card by the real estate investment ? : How long does it take and how ?　（YouTube Part-2)

by

Part-2

Japan dramatically relaxed the green card regulations a few years ago.
Now you could get the green card by investing in Japan with 1 year stay.

Japan is not selling the green card but the real estate investment (or any other type of business

by establishing your entity here) should work very well.

Again the government is not selling the green card but you can
intelligently leverage the real estate investment for the preferential treatment.

I am discussing more practical strategy to get prepared and apply for the green card. 

There is even a fast track.

If you like Japan and want to contribute to my country in good ways, your investment should be

appreciated by the government.

Read more

Controversial argument: Where are the places you don’t want to live in Tokyo ?

by

 

(Machida)

Moving into a new place can be an exciting yet expensive decision.

It is essential that you view the property in person as the photos may (or may not) do the property justice.

You may be able to identify issues that are not present in the photos, which may not be up to date.

Visiting the property gives you a feel for the location and the neighbourhood.

In any cities, there are some neighbourhoods where you don’t walk in the middle of night alone.

In fact, in Tokyo there is almost none.

Maybe you may feel weird if you walk on the street early in the morning in Shinjuku Kabukicho but you won’t feel

extreme insecurity.

I recently read a book written by a guy called ‘Masayoshi Osaka’. The book is called ‘Where are the places you don’t

want to live in greater Tokyo ?’  It is highly controversial and full of prejudice such as race, income and business.

He is a reasonably well-known blogger, originally from Osaka.

He is running a media company “Tokyo Deep Guide” , which is the extreme biased media.

The media shines light not on the positive side of the cities/towns in Tokyo but on the negative side.

Read more

Japan real estate market update : Market off to shaky start in 2019 amid price dip, sluggish demand ?

by

Now, the real truth about the real estate market in Japan　!
I am often asked about the trend of the real estate market in Japan.

The most common question is

“Is it going to come off after Tokyo Olympics in 2020 ?”

What do you think ?

It is always difficult to predict how the market will behave but we can always make some analysis.

There are a few perspectives we should focus when analyzing the market.

First, let us walk through the recent high level market trend.

Average land prices in Japan rose from a year earlier for the first time in 27 years in 2018, fueled by the increasing foreign tourists and by urban areas where redevelopment projects are ongoing.
For example, the number of foreigners who stayed overnight in Kyoto in 2017 totaled 3.53 million, a record high.

The national average of benchmark land prices as of July 1 (in 2018) rose 0.1 percent from a year earlier.

The national average of commercial land prices was stronger than the residential segments and it went up
by 1.1 percent.

Read more

Surrounded by the forests unique kominka houses close to skiing resorts and delightful onsen hot springs in Niigata prefecture : Only 80 mins from Tokyo

by

A relaxing, open plan space where each person can find their own way to chill out ?

Why don’t you try Niigata ?

Niigata prefecture is renowned for beautiful mountains and skiing resorts.

In addition, since Niigata is a major production center for high quality rice,  Niigata boasts many Japanese sake brands.

If you take Niigata shinkansen(bullet train) from Tokyo station, it takes only 80 mins to Echigo-yuzawa station.

From Echigo-yuzawa station, you can reach a number of delightful skiing resorts within one hour.

Read more

10 mins from a lovely ski resort in Naganao : Akiya property samples

by

 

（Hakuba-dake in Nagano)
Do you want to get a taste of traditional Japanese country life where you can reach a gorgeous ski resort in 10 mins ? 
There are more than eight million vacant properties(it is called akiya in Japanese) in Japan and the number  of akiya is increasing. Recently we have received a number of inquiries from all over the world from people who want to buy akiya. In fact, searching akiya is not as easy as you might think because majority of akiya is not widely listed. You can find only a friction percentage of akiya online.
Today we pick up a few sample akiya properties in good spots in Japan.

1 Kyoto prefecture (one and half hours from Kyoto city center)
2 Chiba prefecture (close to the beautiful ocean)
3 Nagano prefecture (10 mins to a ski resort)
Read more

Can foreigners buy a property in Japan ? : Fundamental rules when acquiring a property

by

Interested in buying a property in Japan where the country risk is lowest in the world ?
Japan is a rare Asian country insofar as it allows foreigners to buy a property. Foreigners can buy both land and building without special qualification.　When it comes to buying a property here, Japan has very few restrictions than the Western countries.

Ownership rights to land and building in Japan by a foreigner is also permitted just like Japanese citizens.

When a registrar has made a registration of ownership with respect to a real property with Legal Affairs Bureau, he/she shall can officially claim the title deeds of the property. However, there are restrictions on agricultural land (farmland). You need to get prior permission from a local agriculture committee (nogyo-iinkai) or governor when you buy the farmland. At least one corporate manager (one member of new owner) has to engage in full-time farming. In other words, if you want to buy farmland, you must become a farmer. The

Read more

The best buy places to own a new condo unit in Japan

by

（Kashiwa station, Chiba)

Do you want to know the best buy places to own a condo unit in Japan ?

Toyokeizai, one of the renowned business magazines in Japan
recently featured the unique real estate (condo unit for home) information in Japan.

The magazine picked up some best buy railways stations in greater Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya to own for your home.

The ranking is based on unique method of PER (Price Earning Ratio).
This particular PER is used to calculate the length (years) to pay back the property price
(new 3 bed room unit with 70 m2) if you rent out.

For example, Read more